For
several years now, Magnum Research Inc. has been
distributing the BFR heavy duty revolvers chambered for
cartridges such as the .45/70, .30-30, and other cartridges that
provide plenty of power for the hunting of the world’s largest
game. The most recent introduction to their catalog was the
chambering of the .500 Smith & Wesson magnum in the BFR. The
BFR just might be the best choice in a handgun chambered for the
big .500 S&W. The BFR is not a small handgun by any means,
but it is a bit more compact and lighter than the X-Frame Smith,
and has exhibited no tendency to unlock the cylinder upon firing
as has been a problem on the S&W with the heaviest factory
loads. The design of the BFR is much like a beefed-up RugerSuper Blackhawk. It is made of stainless steel,
employs a transfer bar safety, and comes equipped with synthetic
rubber grips. For those who prefer wood grips, Magnum Research
offers those also, and any grips for a Super Blackhawk will fit
the BFR. One design improvement over the Ruger is that the BFR
employs a free-spinning cylinder that allows rotation in either
direction with the loading gate opened. This can be very
important if a bullet jumps the crimp from recoil, which could
make the gun inoperable on a non free-spinning design.

As
some of you readers may know, I am a fan of the .50 Beowulf
cartridge which was designed by Alexander Arms, and is
chambered in their excellent AR-15 style rifles (Ed. Note:
see Jeff's earlier articles on the Alexander Arms "Entry
Gun"and "Overwatch"rifles). The .50 Beowulf is a rebated rim design that
has just slightly more case capacity than does the .500 S&W,
but is loaded to lower pressures to facilitate reliability and
efficiency. In the AR-15 style rifle, it is a superb cartridge
for making big holes in tough targets.

Recently,
I received by way of Bill Alexander a BFR revolver
chambered for the .50 Beowulf cartridge. It is at this point a
one-of-a-kind handgun, but it could become a standard chambering
if the demand is great enough. The BFR .50 Beowulf weighed
in at four pounds and three ounces. The cylinder length is just
over three inches and the diameter measures 1.786 inches. The
gap between the seven and one-quarter inch heavy barrel and the
cylinder face measures a tight .003 of an inch. The trigger pull
measured four and one-half pounds. Lifting one leg of the
trigger spring from its post (the
"Poor Boy's Trigger Job") resulted in a
crisp trigger pull of two and one-third pounds. The BFR revolver
shot exceptionally well with factory Alexander Arms ammunition.
Accuracy with the BFR was excellent, grouping under one inch at
twenty-five yards, when I did my part. Extraction with all
factory loads was very easy, with the cases falling from the
chambers without the use of the ejector rod. Velocity testing
was done over a PACT chronograph at a distance of twelve
feet. Velocities from the seven and one-quarter inch barrel were
as follows:

Bullet

Velocity
(fps)

334
grain JHP

1619

325
grain JHP

1741

334
grain JFP

1671

400
grain JFP

1355

In
addition to these, I tried some of the excellent Cast
Performance 440 grain Wide Flat Nose Gas Check bullets.
These are the same bullets that are factory loaded into the .500
S&W Magnum, and are a superb choice for use in the BFR .50
Beowulf. These bullets combine a wide flat point with tough
bullet construction, resulting in excellent penetration and
stopping power. In the BFR, they can be loaded up to around 1650
feet per second, just as they can in the .500 S&W case.
However, I like this bullet loaded to about 1100 fps. At this
velocity, recoil is greatly reduced, while still delivering
plenty of shock and penetration on game. Accuracy was also
excellent with this bullet.

Shooting
the .50 Beowulf BFR was pleasurable, with one exception. While
the recoil was stout with this gun, the rubber grips did a great
job of cushioning the blow to the palm. However, I would like
for the trigger guard to be a bit larger. Upon firing, the
inside front of the guard would slam into my trigger finger, and
it just plain hurt, even while wearing thin leather gloves. If
the front of the guard were moved forward about another quarter
of an inch, this should alleviate the problem. This might not be
a problem for all shooters, but for me, it was. If this were my
gun, I would simply remove the front of the trigger guard,
making this a very comfortable big bore revolver to shoot.

The
BFR revolvers, in any of their several chamberings, are very
good quality handguns that are excellent for hunting. Chambered
for the .50 Beowulf, the BFR has the power to take just about
anything that walks the Earth, while carrying five shots in a
reasonably portable package. In a good across-the-chest holster,
the BFR carries easily, and is readily available should the need
arise. It would make a great backup to a Beowulf rifle, with
both using the same cartridge. For someone working or camping
outdoors in areas where large bears reside, the BFR would be
good insurance to have along, without being so cumbersome as to
get in the way. It is a sturdy, well-built revolver, that
combines stopping power and accuracy in a portable package.

The
"base" BFR revolver comes with a set of Neoprene
grips, but nice wood grips are optionally available from
Magnum Research. Also, since the BFR has the same grip frame
profile as Ruger's Super
Blackhawk, aftermarket grips for the Super Blackhawk will fit
nicely. Grips shown are Jeff's favorites for the Super
Blackhawk: a set of custom-thinned Herrett's "Shooting
Star" grips.

Author and his son-in-law, Specialist Sebastian Giles,
both found the BFR .50 Beowulf accurate and fun to shoot.
Recoil, while not for the faint-hearted, was very manageable.

Alexander Arms factory ammunition tested included (L-R):
334-grain JHP; 400-grain JFP; 325-grain JHP; and 334-grain JFP.
There were no failures of any kind during testing, and Jeff
was impressed with the accuracy exhibited.

Penetration capability of the big .50 Beowulf is
demonstrated by this crater punched halfway through a 1"
steel plate. This shows why the BFR in .50 Beowulf is capable
of taking any game that walks or crawls on the face of this
Earth.